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Home > Archive: June, 2016

Archive for June, 2016

Some time to catch up!

June 28th, 2016 at 02:12 pm

The girls and I finished school last week. I have the next 2 weeks off before summer school starts. The girls are out of town vacationing with their dad, so I have the place to myself.

Almost like an unwelcome annual event, I get sick right after school lets out. I think it is a combination of not getting enough rest during the crazy last few weeks, and the dust flurries that result from the classroom pack-up. It feels like the worst of this has passed, though, so I am able to enjoy my days off for the most part.

I was able to register for a summer course, after my arm was healed. I'm halfway through that course. Feels like this program is never ending, but really after this summer I only have one more course to go. Then study and pass the board exam.

I am trying not to be anxious about finances in the upcoming year. I get paid 10 months of the year so I
set aside money each month in a summer savings account. I have enough in this account to get through August as of now. When I get my last paycheck for the school year, and factor in summer school pay, I will have enough to cover September. But just the basics, there isn't a lot of extra fat for those months. I do have a long-term savings account (Vanguard taxable account) for any major issues that may arise during this time. That account is off-budget in YNAB.

I'll have to update on relationship in the next post.

Final Stretch!

June 18th, 2016 at 01:03 pm

The past few weeks have been crazy, typical for June. I have the final push at work to get through, which usually means non-stop movement and I forget to eat lunch until I drive home. My kids have their end-of-the-year activities and the various rehearsals that go along with those. And of course the typical fun stuff that warm weather brings: baseball games, festivals.

I can't even mention the emotional turmoil that the events of the past week has brought. Fortunately I live in a large city with a very supportive community.

I am progressing through my second-to-last class in my program. It's a tough one! At this time of year the hardest part has been finding time to sit down and do the work. I have all day tomorrow, though. I plan on a mega study session with maybe an hour break for the pool or gym. I should be able to turn in all the work that is due this week.

The hours at my second job are perfect for now. I started this week. It is just M-W-F for 2 hours right after I leave work, on my way home. It gives me more exposure to the field, and a little extra cash, too.

At this moment my finances are on track. I am still loving the nYnab I subscribed to. It has been a big help with keeping finances organized. My finances are going to change quite a bit in August so I will need to stay extra careful as I make budget adjustments.

Back in action

June 1st, 2016 at 11:35 am

About 2 weeks ago DD2 spilled water on my laptop, making it completely nonfunctioning. It looked like a new laptop was in the future. Last night, though, I tried to turn it on one last time before I decided to recycle it. Lo and behold, my laptop is up and running again, good as new. Well, except for numbers 5 and 6 on the calculations pad on the right, but I can just use the standard number keys for those!

17 days left of school! That means very busy days as we wrap up the year.

The kids will be with their dad for a few weeks vacationing out west. That will give me some time to turn over my tiny rental condo, as my tenant of the last couple years is moving out at the end of the month. I always get anxious when it is time to rent out the condo again, but I've had it for nearly 5 years and done well with it. I don't think it has appreciated any but it does bring in a few hundred in positive cash flow monthly.

I will be teaching summer school again this year. I keep most of my same students, and they are only there 3 hours a day, and it is just for one month. It's pretty easy money so I don't mind doing it. I'm also starting a part-time position outside of school so that I can get experience in the private practice setting. That extra cash will go to help boost savings, I'm not sure if I will be continuing the job in the school year.

So life is good. There are some parts that are still murky (relationship)but for my own sanity I am only devoting but so much energy to that at a time. I find that it is too easy to become consumed by issues in my head, without coming up with real solutions. We are talking to a therapist now, but there are still tough decisions we have to make for ourselves. I have to deliberately choose to steer my thoughts towards other areas of importance. End of the year activities with my kids. My career. Summer plans.

I hope everyone has some fun planned in this busy month somewhere!